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DPS Provides Free Breakfast For Students

Contributed by: Ashley Mohr on 10/5/2006

Start Smart Program Provides Free Breakfast to Denver Public Schools Students

DENVER (Oct. 5, 2006) - Children are more likely to skip breakfast than any other meal, yet breakfast, the most important meal of the day, provides the brain food children need to succeed. To combat this problem, Denver Public Schools (DPS) has launched Start Smart, a new DPS Universal Breakfast Program, which offers breakfast at no charge to all students, regardless of income, at schools where breakfast is currently served.

"Here at DPS, we recognize that a nutritious breakfast helps students pay attention and concentrate on learning new skills," said Leo Lesh, executive director of DPS Food and Nutrition Services. "With Start Smart, we hope to increase student participation in school breakfast and continue improving student, classroom and school performance throughout the district, supporting the district's overall goals to improve student achievement."

In developing Start Smart, Denver Public Schools tapped the expertise of on-staff nutritionists and dieticians to revise breakfast menu offerings. The menu includes items such as a breakfast wrap with eggs and salsa, hardboiled eggs with cheese toast, waffles with peaches and vanilla yogurt and breakfast biscuits. Students can also choose from a variety of fresh fruits, cereals with low- or reduced-sugar content, juices, milk and homemade toast. DPS will test a variety of delivery strategies, such as breakfast in the cafeteria or classroom and "grab-and-go" options, whereby bagged food is served from a variety of locations throughout the morning.

"If our kids are hungry, they aren't able to focus on their learning," stated Superintendent Michael Bennet. "Start Smart provides the healthy breakfast kids need to be successful at school each day."

Denver Public Schools receives funding for Start Smart through the DPS Department of Food and Nutrition Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture School Breakfast Program (SBP).

Only 11,000 students participate in the current DPS breakfast program and nationwide, only two percent of students meet the dietary goals of the food pyramid. To contribute to your child's healthy lifestyle, parents should consider the following suggestions and facts:

Breakfast Facts:
• Kids who eat breakfast have higher test scores, work faster, make fewer errors and are more creative. They are also more able to concentrate on learning and more cooperative and attentive in the classroom.
• Kids who eat breakfast are healthier and spend less time in the nurse's office and
more time in the classroom. Schools benefit from improved attendance and fewer discipline problems.
• Breakfast should provide one fourth of a child's daily caloric and nutritional
needs (Child Nutrition Foundation and the National Dairy Council).
• Children ages 4- to 8- years-old should take in 1,400 - 1,800 calories daily Girls
ages 9 to 13 should take in 1,600 - 2,000 calories daily while boys in the same
age group need 1,800 - 2,600 calories each day (USDA My Pyramid).
• Balanced breakfast, like a typical school breakfast containing fruit or juice, toast
or cereal, and 2% or whole milk, gives a sustained release of energy in children,
delaying symptoms of hunger for several hours (Child Nutrition Foundation).
• Students who receive Ds or Fs are twice as likely as A students to skip breakfast
frequently (Child Nutrition Foundation).

To learn more, parents can contact their child's school or visit the DPS nutrition website at http://foodservices.dpsk12.org/nutrition.




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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Ashley Mohr

Denver , CO

Ashley Mohr has posted 1 story and 0 comments since joining on 10/3/2006. Ashley Mohr 's average story rating is 0.
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